Our Curriculum

At Oakengates Nursery School, our curriculum is rooted in our belief that every child should Belong, Achieve and Thrive. We create a nurturing, inclusive environment where children feel safe, valued and confident to explore, supported by our federation motto Love, Laugh, Learn. Through strong relationships, joyful learning experiences and high expectations for every child, we lay the foundations for lifelong learning and wellbeing.

Our curriculum intent is to inspire and motivate every child, so they engage with their learning and make excellent progress. Each child is valued and understood as an individual; academically, socially, emotionally and as a spiritual being.

We never forget that a happy childhood is the right of every child. We want to ignite a child's natural curiosity through play and first-hand exploration. Learning about the fascinating and diverse world in which they live is a crucial part of a child’s development.

Our curriculum has a strong emphasis on spoken language to develop children cognitively, socially, and linguistically. The quality and variety of language that children hear and speak are key factors to a child developing the vocabulary they need when reasoning, making a justification, argument, or proof of their ideas.

We believe children should be given time to develop their ideas, ask questions, problem solve and take risks which will lead to enhanced confidence, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This approach will help them to recognise and articulate their strengths which in turn will prepare them for the future.

Our children are at the very beginning of their lifelong learning journey, and we strongly believe that the curriculum we offer them should enable them to communicate their thoughts and ideas with others clearly, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things.

Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural development is embedded into all areas of our curriculum. Through our curriculum children learn to behave well, cooperate, and share with each other. They make friends, respect each other's differences, and build their understanding of different families, people, and communities beyond their immediate experience.

Children also learn to behave in ways that are safe, understand how to stay safe and show that they feel safe. As part of a whole school approach, we have developed a bespoke curriculum called Keeping Ourselves Happy, Healthy and Safe. This curriculum develops the qualities and attributes children need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.

Our central aim is to provide every child with educational experiences and opportunities that will enable every child to discover and fulfil their own potential.

Our Context for Learning

Our curriculum reflects the unique needs of our children, families and community.

We recognise that:

• Spoken language is the gateway to learning

• Emotional wellbeing underpins academic success

• Children learn best through meaningful, first-hand experiences

• Independence builds lifelong confidence

Learning is coherently planned and sequenced around children’s interests and developmental needs, ensuring strong progression across all areas of learning.

Context for Learning Document

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Our Bespoke Knowledge & Skills Progression (Birth to 4)

Alongside the EYFS framework, we have developed our own Knowledge and Skills Grid, mapping the small component steps children make from Birth to 4 years.

This ensures learning is:

• Sequential

• Ambitious

• Developmentally appropriate

• Focused on school readiness

Our progression supports children to build:

• Vocabulary and listening stamina

• Early phonological awareness

• Develop physically, both gross and fine motor

• Early number fluency

• Self-regulation and independence

This ensures children move onto their next stage in education confident, capable and thriving. 

0-2 Years Knowledge and Skills Grid Prime Areas 

2-3 Years Knowledge and Skills Grid Prime Areas 

3-4 Years Knowledge and Skills Grid Prime and Specific Areas 

 

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Our Learning Powers and Expectations

Our bespoke curriculum is underpinned by our Learning Powers, which are explicitly taught and modelled by adults:

• Resilience – keeping going when learning feels tricky

• Reciprocity – working together and helping others

• Reflectiveness – thinking about learning and how to improve

• Resourcefulness – finding ways to solve problems and try new ideas

We bring these learning powers to life in fun, meaningful ways through stories, puppets and role play, helping children to understand what these behaviours look like in everyday situations. This approach supports children to recognise their own learning behaviours and builds confidence, emotional understanding and positive relationships.

Our Learning Powers

 

Alongside these, we promote clear expectations for behaviour and attitudes to learning. Every day, children are encouraged to:

Work Hard, Be Honest and Be Kind

These values are embedded through play, routines and positive adult modelling, helping children develop confidence, strong relationships and a positive approach to learning.

Nursery-Expectations (ID 1126)

• Louie the Lion
  We are Honest
  Louie the Lion

• Alfie Alligator
  We are Kind
  Alfie Alligator

• Ella Elephant
  We Work Hard
  Ella Elephant

Keeping Ourselves Happy, Healthy and Safe

As part of our whole-federation approach, we deliver our bespoke curriculum Keeping Ourselves Happy, Healthy and Safe, supporting children to understand emotions, build healthy relationships, learn how to stay safe and develop moral and social awareness.